Clever Clogs Day Nursery

In November 2024, play dough for small hands, fruit-cutting for older children and stories introducing new words illustrated Clever Clogs Day Nursery's combination of early learning and practical independence. Its Sandringham Road setting in Doncaster has capacity for 60 children, with a current age range from birth to eight years. Early-years care and before- and after-school care sit alongside each other, giving the nursery a practical role across different stages of family life.

At its November 2024 inspection, Ofsted rated the nursery Good and judged safeguarding effective. The strongest detail lies beneath that headline: children were developing hand control, cooperating in construction play and learning to do more for themselves. Mathematics and the depth of staff conversations with children were the areas requiring further work.

Funded attendance includes morning and afternoon patterns, while holiday care can be booked for full or half days. The choice matters for families whose childcare needs change between the nursery years and school holidays.

Rooms and Ages

Care is organised around age bands of 0–2, 2–3 and 3–5 years. For the youngest children, staff with baby-care training support their early learning; the middle age group combines activities chosen by adults with play initiated by children, matched to their developmental stage. The preschool emphasis is independence and preparation for school, again using both adult-planned activities and children's own choices.

Those stages give parents a useful picture of how the day changes as children grow. The early years foundation stage provides the framework for learning, development and care: here, that means planning around children's individual needs, with opportunities to develop language, movement, social understanding and early literacy through activities and play.

Learning and Activities

In November 2024, babies worked their fingers by pressing and manipulating play dough. Older children practised using knives with fruit during pretend kitchen play and buttered crackers at snack time. These were purposeful everyday tasks, linking increasing independence with the hand control needed for later writing.

Books and songs were central to the day in November 2024. Bumble Bear was one of the stories used to capture children's attention and introduce memorable language, alongside fiction and factual books. Children learning English as an additional language also took part in this language-rich activity. For parents, the useful point is the connection between enjoyable stories and opportunities to hear and use new vocabulary.

The same November 2024 account identified a less consistent strand in mathematics. Activities did not always meet children's particular learning needs, including connecting numbers with quantities and exploring shape properties. Staff conversations also sometimes stopped short of probing children's thinking. A busy activity is valuable, but the next question matters too: it can reveal what a child understands and help take the learning further.

Outdoor and Community Life

Indoor and outdoor exploration featured in November 2024, including babies learning to manage the nursery stairs. Older children wore hard hats and collaborated with ramps and large blocks during construction play. These physical details show how movement, cooperation and practical problem-solving were woven into play, rather than treated as separate lessons.

At the November 2024 inspection, Ofsted found that children made good progress overall, babies formed close relationships with staff and settled well, and children with SEND received strong support through early identification, work with parents, specialist professionals and additional funding. That combination is relevant to families seeking help with communication or development: support involved both nursery practice and connections beyond the setting.

In November 2024, speech therapists were among the professionals involved. Parents of children with SEND valued help understanding how to support learning at home. Staff also helped children who struggled with emotions to take part in shared play, while encouraging persistence and decision-making. The practical emphasis was on helping children participate and become more independent.

Home-cooked food is offered, with dietary requirements accommodated for medical reasons, religious observance or family preference; parents can instead send a packed lunch. Meals and snacks carry separate charges, as do nappies, nappy bags and wet wipes, so food and everyday supplies need to be considered alongside the childcare quotation.

Sessions and Attendance

The address is 186 Sandringham Road, Doncaster, DN2 5JE. Standard opening hours run from 7.30am to 6pm on weekdays, with care until 7pm offered on request. The nursery operates for 52 weeks, closing for bank holidays. Enquiries can be made by telephone on 01302 215 243 or through the contact form.

For the 15-hour funding offer, attendance patterns include two sessions of 7.5 hours, five three-hour sessions, or three five-hour sessions. The three-hour options run from 9am to noon or 1pm to 4pm; the five-hour options run from 8am to 1pm or 1pm to 6pm. The 30-hour offer allows flexible attendance, and funding can be spread across 52 weeks. These are materially different choices for families arranging work around shorter days or fewer, longer visits.

Before-school care runs from 7.30am to 9am, and after-school care from 3pm to 6pm. Full-day and half-day holiday care is also offered. Wraparound care serves Sandringham Primary School, Intake Primary School and Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Primary School; this is a childcare service for school-age children, rather than a claim about admission to those schools.

Getting There

Off-street parking provides an option for families bringing children by car. The Sandringham Road address also keeps the location straightforward to identify when arranging a visit.

Funding and Paid Extras

Eligible parents can use the 15- and 30-hour funded childcare offers. Private childcare is offered too, and current prices come in the nursery's written quotation. Funding eligibility remains conditional on family circumstances.

Meals, snacks and the listed nappy supplies are charged separately, including alongside funded attendance. A packed lunch provides an alternative to a purchased meal. The distinction matters when comparing attendance patterns: funded hours and the cost of food or supplies are separate parts of the arrangement.

• Mathematics and conversations. November 2024 brought specific recommendations about matching mathematical activities to children's needs and exploring their ideas more deeply. On a visit, ask how staff now develop number and shape learning and extend children's thinking during play.
• Shorter sessions or longer visits. Funded attendance includes both three-hour and five-hour morning or afternoon options, while holiday bookings include full and half days. Decide which pattern fits your week, and discuss how the requested late-care arrangement would work if needed.
• Food and supply charges. Meals, snacks, nappies, nappy bags and wipes are separate charges, with packed lunches permitted. Families managing dietary requirements should discuss current meal arrangements and include these extras when considering the written quotation.
• School-age care. Wraparound care names three schools, while the current overall age range extends to eight years. Families combining nursery and school-age childcare should clarify the age coverage of the holiday and wraparound booking they want.

Clever Clogs suits families seeking shorter funded morning or afternoon attendance as well as those needing full- or half-day holiday care or school wraparound support. The November 2024 picture gives the clearest educational character: language, practical independence and help for children with additional needs were substantial strengths, with mathematics and more searching staff interactions requiring attention. Its useful flexibility comes with a clear budgeting point. Food and everyday nappy supplies sit outside the childcare charge.